Circuit-breaker.



No. 745,348. PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

E. M. HEWLETT & G. G. BADEAU.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1901.

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No. 745,348. PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903. E. M. HEWLETT & G. C. BADEAU.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2'7. 1901.

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PATENTED DEG. 1, 1903. E. M. HEWLETT & G. G. BADEA'U.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1901.

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Witnesses:

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THE NORR15 vzrzns co. PuoTouTua. WASNING UNITED STATES Patented December1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. HEWLETT AND CHARLES o. BADEAU, on sonENEoTADY, nEw YORK,ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELEcTRIo COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,3 dated December1903- Applieation filed April 27, 1901. Serial No. 57.672. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD M. HEWLETT and OHARLEsO.BADEAU,citizensoftheUnited States, residing at Schenectady, county of5 Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to automatic circuit- I0 breakers, the objectbeing to produce an instrument that will open circuits of high potentialwith safety and minimum damage to the contacts. 7 1 In carrying out theinvention we provide a pivoted iron-clad tripping-magnet or solenoidmounted to swing to and from the support and to be latched in positionwhen the circuit is closed, so that in opening the combined effect ofgravity and an assisting spring will act upon the movable contacts toopen the circuit. The operating mechanism is mounted between the mainand shunt contacts, leaving all metal parts when the circuit is openwith a wide clearance between contacts, thus preventing possible shortcircuits from arcing. The movable system carries a bridgingcontact forthe main terminals and cramps a toggle when set, and the shunt-contactsare so arranged that in opening the pressure 0 upon the shunt-contactsis increased at the time of opening the main contacts to prevent arcingacross the latter from differences of ohmic resistance in the two paths.

The novel features of the invention will be 5 more particularlyhereinafter described, and will be definitely indicated in the claims.

In the acoompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a circuit breaker embodying my improve- 0 ments. Fig.2 isa partly-sectional elevation showing the circuit-breaker in openposition, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a circuitbreaker.

1 represents a supporting-board, of slate,

,5 marble, or similar non-conducting fireproof material, upon which aremounted main and shunt terminals 2 and 3, respectively, a pair of eachbeing provided. hen the circuit is closed, the main contacts are bridgedby phosphor-bronze brushes formed of a bundle of thin laminze, asindicated at l, two of these being placed in a line and mounted in abrass casting 5. The contacts 4 are in electrical connection each withan end of an operatingcoil, one end of the leading conductorof which isseen at 6. The coil is formed of a copper ribbon or bar spirally wound,with an intervening layer of paper, and consists of two sections? 7, theinner ends being connected together by a brass tube lined with fiber andthe coils reversely wound with a seperating-washer of fiber 8. The freeends of the coil are connected in the sockets 5, which carry thelaminated contacts. Thus current passes from one terminal 2 through thelaminated brush, through both coil-sections in series, to the otherbrush and out at the other main terminal, which is in the samehorizontal plane as the terminal 2 and back of it,as represented in thedrawings. By reason of the reverse winding of the two coilsections thepassage of current through them in series makes them act together inmagnetizing effect upon the magnetic circuit. This circuit is completedby an iron core 9,11esting in its retracted position in a brass tube 10,screwed to the frame, so that its axis coincides with that of the coils.The tube is threaded inside and provided with an adjustable plug 11,which may be placed at variable positions in the tube to control theload at Which the instrument will act and will be locked in suchposition by means of a setscrew 12, engaging two jaws of the plug formedby making a saw-cut partly through it in a direction transverse to itsaxis. The core is of such a length that its upper end will enter partway into the coils. The casing is formed of cast-iron and forms acomplete magnetic environment for the coils closed on all sides, thuslowering the magnetic resistance and protecting the coils. In settingthe coils in position in this casing they are guarded against contactwith the frame by washers of fiber, as indicated in Fig. 2, and thespaces between the coil and frame are filled with a mixture of Portlandcement, the moisture being expelled by baking after the cement is set.The coil-casing is pivoted on its outer side above the center in asupporting-bracket13, so as to throw the center of gravity of themovable system to one side when the circuit-breaker is set, from whichit results that when free to swing the coil and its casing will shiftoutwardly, so as to bring the center of gravity of the system in linewith the center of the pivot, a position of the parts depicted in Fig.2. To assist the rapidity of this action, a stout coil-spring 14 isprovided, having one end anchored on the bracket and the other in thecoil-casing. An insulated handle 15 is secured to the outer side of thecoil-casing to permit handsetting. The handle and coil thus form asingle moving part.

In the upperpart of the coil-casingis mounted a loose brass pin 16,supported bya shoulder in a hole bored in the top of the casing, thelower end projecting into the coil. This pin cooperates with a bentlever 17, thetop of which when the circuit-breaker is set pushes againstthe push-pin 1601* in close relation to the same. This lever is pivotedon a bracket or lug forming part of the coil-casing and is connectedwith a pivoted link 18, journaled on a standard or lug projecting fromthe base of the bracket 13. This link and the bent end of the lever 17form a toggle which looks the parts when straightened out to theposition shown in Fig. 1 and which collapses when tripped and permitsthe parts to assume the position shown in Fig. 2. The toggle may becollapsed by the automatic action of the device or by means of apendulous rod of wood 19, pivoted at 18. In collapsing the toggleautomatically the coil upon definite overload (determined by theposition at which the plug 11 is set) lifts the core 9 With arapidlyaccelerating movement, accumulating momentum until it strikes thepin 16, which under the impact of the blow pushes upward the lever 17and collapses the toggle. The weight of the parts and the coactingspring 14 then shift the coil system to the open position, in doingwhich the bridging contacts 4: are first lifted from the main contacts 2and then the shunt-contacts opened. The shuntcontacts are mounted onsteel rods 20, pivoted concentrically with the link 18 and connected tothe moving frame by links 21 at 21, the end connected to the frame beingon a slightly-higher plane than that fastened to the contact-arm. Thecoil-frame and link 21 thus constitute a second toggle, which controlsthe movement of the shunt-contacts 22, and by reason of the position ofthe link 21, just described, when the main contacts are opened the firsteffect will be to put greater pressure upon the shunt-contacts 22, sincethe parts in swinging throw the higher end of the link 21 down, therebypushing in on the pivoted arm carrying the shunt-contact and producing ahard spring-pressure, which reduces the contact resistance, therebylowering the potential drop, and thus contributing materially to preventpitting of the main 1 contacts. No claim is herein made to this feature,as it is the sole invention of Edward M. Hewlett. The shunt contacts maybe formed of copper or copper and carbon, preferably both, the fixedcontact being provided with a copper part 3 and a carbon part 3 in thespring-clip 3 all secured together and mounted on the shunt-terminal,which may be connected with the main terminal on the rear of the boardby a copper bar 23. The bracket supporting the movable system is mountedbetween the main and shunt contacts, thus leaving all metal parts wellclear of the arcs when the circuit is being opened and when it is closedpreventing leakage or the formation of arcs due to leakage.

In setting the circuit-breaker the handle 15 is pressed toward the base,shifting the main and shunt contacts together and straightening out thetoggle, so that its centers are in line, thereby preventing its collapseuntil released by hand or automatic action, as hereinbefore described.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

l. A circuit-breaker having a pivoted tripping-coil adapted to swingoutwardly from the base when the circuit-breaker is tripped, and mainand shunt contacts on opposite sides of its axis.

2. A circuit-breaker having a pivoted tripping-coil adapted to swingoutwardly from the base when the circuit-breaker is tripped, contactsmounted relatively close to the base, a toggle to hold the contacts set,and means carried by the coil for tripping the circuitbreaker.

3. A circuit-breaker having a tripping-coil rigid with theoperating-handle, contacts operated thereby, and a toggle operated bythe handle to set the circuit-breaker.

4. A circuit-breaker havinga tripping-coil carried by theoperating-handle pivoted above its center of gravity to swing outwardlyfrom the base when released, contacts mounted relatively close to thebase, means for locking the contacts when set, and a releasing devicegoverned by the coil.

5. A circuit-breaker havinga tripping-coil carried by theoperating-handle pivoted to swing outwardly from the base,separatelypivoted main and shunt contacts mounted relatively close tothe base, and having means for locking the contacts in position whenset, and a movable core supported along the coilaxis to trip thecircuit-breaker.

6. A circuit-breaker having a pivoted tripping-coil, a toggle connectedtherewith, one link of the toggle having a projecting arm, a trip-pin inline with the projection, and a core for operating the trip-pin.

7. A circuit-breaker having its operatingcoil composed of a plurality ofspirals reversely wound and connecting at contiguous ends in seriesrelation to conspire in magnet izing effect.

ICO

8. A circuit-breaker having a pivoted op- 1 another in oppositedirections toward a non 1o crating-coil, and main and shunt contacts onmal to said plane.

opposite sides of the same,the movable shunt- In witness whereof we havehereunto set contact being carried on elastic arms cramped our handsthis 25th day of April, 1901. 5 when the circuit is closed. EDWARD M.HEWLETT.

9. Acircuit-breakerhavingmain andshunt CHARLES (J. BADEAU. contactshaving engaging faces in substan- Witnesses: tially the same plane whenthe circuit is BENJAMIN B. HULL,

closed, and means for shifting them one after MARGARET E. WOOLLEY.

